Frigatezine- Reviews/Critique: Film/Videos: Happy Talk: Ethnic Stereotypes in "South Pacific" Gail Cain Nellie and Emile, sans passion, 2001 I have a confession to make: I watched a recent television production of "South Pacific" starring Glenn Close. And I meant to do it. I tuned in because a local TV critic had seen a preview and blasted the production's racial stereotypes. Well, Glenn Close warbling "I'm Going to Wash that Man Right Out of My Hair" seemed about as bad as musical comedy can get. But then Close admits that she can't continue her romance with a handsome French planter because he has two children who are "colored." That really made me squirm. Click here to download PDF Reader. Granted the musical takes place during World War II, and the dialogue was probably true to its time and place. But why would anyone revive a production with that dialogue? Did the director clean it up a bit? Was the l958 movie even worse? To answer these questions, I rented the film "South Pacific." If you haven't seen it, here's a synopsis.

"South Pacific" involves a mission to spy on Japanese troop movements and two love stories: Ensign Nellie Forbush (Mitzi Gaynor), a nurse from Little Rock, Arkansas, and Emile de Becque (Rossano Brazzi), a French planter who has been living on the islands some sixteen years; Lieutenant Joe Cable (John Kerr), a handsome Marine from a proper Philadelphia family, and Liat (France Nuyen), a beautiful Tonkinese/Tonganese islander. Nuyen plays one of just five Asian characters in the film with more than a walk-on role. This movie about the Pacific seems to employ very few Pacific Islanders (I read the credits closely and saw few Asian or Polynesian names). One of the Asian roles is actually played by an African-American (Juanita Hall as Bloody Mary). These are clues that "South Pacific" isn't going to be smooth sailing.

The movie opens with Technicolor shots of a torchlit beach, a huge waterfall, palm trees, thatched roof huts, rafts hurtling through the waves, and a magnificent sunset while the soundtrack plays the overture: bits of "Some Enchanted Evening," "Younger than Springtime," "I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy," "Bali Ha'i," and "Happy Talk." Nellie and Emile in a clinch, l958. The beauty of the scenery and the overture is soon replaced by the ugliness of the first musical number, sung by a group of seamen to the first Asian character we see: the Tonkinese trader known as Bloody Mary. While the seamen sing, Juanita Hall laughs merrily. Apparently Bloody Mary doesn't mind her odious nickname or the equally odious lyrics to the song named after her ("Bloody Mary is the girl I love...Her skin is tender as a baseball glove...Bloody Mary's chewing betel nuts/and she don't use Pepsodent.") The stereotype gets worse as we get a fuller picture of an unscrupulous Asian merchant out to cheat innocent Caucasians.

Bloody Mary's vocation is buying low and selling high  specifically grass skirts and other cheap souvenirs  to the enlisted men on the island. You can see dollar signs in her eyes as she whines "You like?" every time she hawks her wares. Before you can say "boar's-tooth bracelet," Lieutenant Cable appears on the scene; Bloody Mary stops wheeling and dealing to gaze at him in amazement. Now John Kerr was a fine-looking young man, but Bloody Mary's reaction to him is puzzling. Is she scheming to sell him a boar's-tooth bracelet? Or does she have a bigger sale in mind? Bloody Mary introduces herself to Cable and asks if he is a "crummy Captain." Cable assures her that he is just a "crummy Lieutenant." After mispronouncing "Lieutenant" (Asians may be wily in business but can only speak pidgin English), Bloody Mary announces that Cable is a "sexy man" and tries to give him a shrunken head, which she says she found on Bali Ha'i, a nearby island.

All the young women have been moved to Bali Ha'i for the duration of the war, and the island is off limits to enlisted men. I guess the Navy felt the women were more dangerous to gullible GIs than to sophisticated officers. Meanwhile, Nellie and Emile meet and moon over each other, while Emile sings "Some Enchanted Evening." Nellie doesn't seem to notice the two young island children hiding in the bushes, watching. Once Nellie leaves, the children rush to Emile, calling "Papa, Papa." Since Nellie has already been introduced to Henry, Emile's servant, viewers may wonder why the children are being kept hidden. Does Emile suspect that Nellie isn't prepared to be a stepmother to half-Polynesian kids? In short order, Cable insists that Emile be his guide for the spy mission to the neighboring islands. Why Emile, who has lived on the islands for just sixteen years, when Cable is surrounded by Polynesians who've grown up on these islands? Perhaps Pacific Islanders can be trusted with jobs like doing laundry or hustling souvenirs but not with secret missions.

Even the aristocratic French Emile, however, doesn't quite measure up. The commanding officer explains to Cable that Emile was married to a Polynesian woman and had two children with her before she died. So the c.o. cautions Cable that they need to learn more before approving Emile. They ask Nellie what she knows. She says Emile is all alone in the world, without a wife or children. When Nellie leaves, the c.o. says to Cable, "Well, you don't spring a couple of Polynesian kids on a woman right away, do you?" Gee, now we know why those poor kids were hiding in the bushes. Before embarking on his mission, Cable decides to visit Bali Ha'i. Hundreds of singing and dancing Polynesians welcome him. Suddenly, it's as if we're watching two different movies. The men wear grass skirts, have bones in their noses, and sport Afros, like refugees from a Tarzan movie. The women wear what appear to be gaily colored prom dresses. And what is Bloody Mary doing here? Certainly losing money since she can't sell souvenirs to the Polynesians.

She leads Cable through a lush landscape of greenery, waterfalls, and swinging bridges to a small house where she introduces him to her half-Polynesian daughter Liat by saying, "You like? We are a pretty people, no? She is nice daughter and she will make a nice wife." Bloody Mary giggles and leaves; Liat embraces Cable as if her mother's offering her to a G.I. like a cheap trinket is perfectly normal. I guess those island women just don't have the morals of us continental hussies. Back at the plantation, Emile finally introduces Nellie to his children. He explains that his wife was Polynesian and says, "I have no apologies. I came here as a young man and I lived as I could." Apparently Emile married a Polynesian because there were no Caucasians available. So much for true love. His explanation certainly doesn't convince Nellie, who runs off sobbing. Cable makes another visit to Bali Ha'i. Bloody Mary joins him and Liat at a waterfall and sings "Happy Talk": Talk about a boy saying to the girl, Golly, baby, I'm a lucky cuss.

Talk about the girl saying to the boy, You an' me is lucky to be us. Happy talk, keep talking happy talk, Talk about things you like to do. You got to have a dream, if you don't have a dream, How you gonna have a dream come true?" Liat merely mimes the words. While Bloody Mary speaks Pidgin English, Liat apparently doesn't speak at all. Is she mute, or is it her character's purpose to show that young Asian-Pacific women are beautiful but dumb in a very literal sense? How Cable and Liat can engage in any talk--let alone happy talk--is a puzzle since Cable speaks English and Liat doesn't speak at all. Bloody Mary urges Cable to marry Liat and offers to support the couple with profits from her souvenir sales, but Bloody Mary just doesn't know when to shut up. She leers at Cable and says, "First time I saw you, I knew you were right man for Liat. You have special good babies." Cable recoils and declares he can't marry Liat. Bloody Mary storms off, dragging Liat behind her, yelling that she'll marry Liat to a French planter instead.

When Cable tells Nellie about Liat, Nellie sympathizes by saying "We have to go where we belong." I guess that means where everyone is white. Soon Emile appears and questions Nellie about her sudden request for a transfer to another base. "Is it because of my children? Because of my Polynesian wife?" asks Emile. Nellie says she can't give him a reason. "It's something born in me. I can't help it." She asks Cable to explain to Emile and then rushes off as Cable sings "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught": "You've got to be taught to be afraid Of people whose eyes are oddly made, And people whose skin is a different shade, You've got to be carefully taught." This song purports to explain that the prejudice Cable and Nellie have is not innate but learned. Suddenly Cable vows to stay on the islands with Liat. There isn't any explanation for this sudden flip-flop in attitude. Surely a man who only the day before has recoiled at the thought of having children with Liat would need more than the lyrics of a song to help him change his attitude toward Pacific Islanders.

In the next scene, Cable convinces Emile to join him on the mission. They manage to send back several reports on Japanese movements before they are discovered and Cable is killed. When Nellie learns of Cable's death, she rushes to the beach and gazes intently toward the chain of islands where Emile is hiding. "I know what counts now," she says. "Not the woman you had before or her color. What a pinhead I was. Don't die before I can tell you: all that matters is us." But why does Nellie refer to Emile's dead wife as "the woman"? Then again, why does she rush to Emile's plantation to care for his children? Another sudden change of heart  and Nellie didn't even hear Cable sing "You've Got to be Taught." What does "South Pacific" say about the Pacific? Well, Asian women are ugly and unscrupulous while Polynesian women are beautiful and dumb; the Polynesian men, for their part, are happy-go-lucky guys who care only about hanging out on Bali Ha'i. Did the TV production clean up any of the movie's racist language or stereotypes? No.

In fact, in the movie version, Nellie doesn't ever refer to Emile's children as "colored." So why revive "South Pacific" for TV and make it worse by adding racist dialogue? For that matter, why rent the movie other than for its music? Hey, if you want to hear the score, and I don't blame you, get the soundtrack. DRAWN ON FOR THIS ESSAY "South Pacific," Josh Logan, director. Starring Mitzi Gaynor, Rossano Brazzi, John Kerr. Run time: 150 minutes. CBS/Fox Video, l984 (theatrical release l958). "South Pacific," Richard Pearce, director. Starring Glenn Close, Rade Sherbedgia, Harry Connick, Jr., Robert Pastorelli, Lori Tan Chinn, and Natalie Mendoza. ABC production, March 26, 2001. AUDIO RELEASES "South Pacific," Original Broadway Cast. Starring Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza. Columbia Records, l998 (original release l949). "South Pacific," Original Soundtrack. Starring Mitzi Gaynor and Giorgio Tozzi.

RCA Records, 2000 (original release l958). ©2000-2002 Frigate: The Transverse Review of Books All rights reserved on behalf of the authors. We welcome your comments and suggestions on our site. Please email <webmaster@frigatezine.com>. South Pacific [Original Soundtrack] - Original Soundtrack | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic South Pacific [Original Soundtrack] google+ AllMusic Review by William Ruhlmann In contrast to the experiences of many Broadway songwriters, the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II had a large say in how their shows came to the big screen. South Pacific did not arrive in movie theaters until nine years after its Broadway opening, and when it did on March 19, 1958, its two-hour, 70-minute running time allowed for the full Rodgers & Hammerstein score, plus one song, "My Girl Back Home," that had been cut from the stage version for time. In addition to preserving their songs, the songwriters saw to it that the songs were sung by people they approved of, most of whom were not the same people seen on the screen.

Mitzi Gaynor sang her own songs in the lead female role of nurse Nellie Forbush, and Ray Walston , who had played the supporting part of rowdy marine Luther Billis in the first national tour and in London, also got to sing. But Rossano Brazzi, as male lead Emile de Becque, was dubbed by opera singer Giorgio Tozzi (who was given screen credit), John Kerr as second male lead Lt. Cable was replaced by Bill Lee , and Juanita Hall , who had originated the role of Bloody Mary on Broadway, was voiced by Muriel Smith , who had played the part in London. (Several minor characters were also dubbed.) While it would have been nice if Lee and Smith were credited in the film and on the soundtrack album, the result is a well-sung version of the score.

Gaynor is appropriately frisky in what is really a soubrette's part in songs like "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair" and "I'm in Love With a Wonderful Guy," Tozzi is sonorous and romantic in "Some Enchanted Evening," Lee is passionate in "Younger Than Springtime," Smith is haunting in "Bali Ha'i" and playful in "Happy Talk," and Walston , leading the Ken Darby Male Chorus , makes the most of "Bloody Mary" and "There Is Nothin' Like a Dame." Only Smith and Walston improve upon their counterparts on the original Broadway cast album, however, with stage leads Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza particularly outdistancing their screen and soundtrack rivals. And now that CD reissues of that earlier recording contain Martin 's version of "My Girl Back Home," one can't even argue that the soundtrack album is more complete. The original Broadway cast album is preferred. It also sold better than the soundtrack album, but the soundtrack's commercial performance was not at all shabby. The film was one of 1958's ten biggest moneymakers, but the soundtrack did even better.

Its run of more than seven months at number one tied it for fourth place among the longest chart toppers in history behind the original Broadway cast album, the soundtrack to West Side Story, and Michael Jackson 's Thriller . It was not only the most successful album of 1958, but the most successful album of the second half of the 1950s. Given that success, the album has been relatively neglected in the CD era. There was a straight-transfer reissue in 1988, but it took RCA until October 24, 2000, to release a refurbished CD version, and that one turned out to be a disappointment. At a time when rivals like Sony and Universal were upgrading their cast and soundtrack reissues in terms of sound, bonus tracks, annotations, and photographs, RCA's new South Pacific seemed skimpy. There were no bonus tracks, little in the way of annotation (the songs were credited by character name except for Ken Darby !), a modest if well-written essay by Joseph F. Laredo , and no new photographs.

In fact, the cover was a reproduction of the cover of the original monophonic LP (proclaiming "A 'New Orthophonic' High Fidelity Release"), down to its catalog number, LOC-1032, which was confusing, since the reissue had a new catalog number and was in stereo. Such a jewel of RCA's catalog deserved better treatment. Track Listing Last night in New York | New York Social Diary Last night in New York At the Young Fellows of The Frick Collection's “Un Ballo in Maschera.” Last night in New York, a week before the First of Spring. Beth DeWoody invited me to join her at a performance of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “South Pacific” at the Vivan Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center. The original show, based on a Pulitzer Prize winning book of short stories – “Tales of the Pacific” by James Michener, opened on April 7, 1949. It was a Pulitzer Prize for Best Drama in 1950. It starred Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza and is the only musical ever to have won all four Tony Awards for acting.

Music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan who also directed, and produced by Rodgers & Hammerstein with Leland Hayward and Joshua Logan. Almost the entire score became popoular American songs – “Some Enchanted Evening,” “Younger Than Springtime,” “There is Nothing Like A Dame,” “(I’m in love with) A Wonderful Guy,” “Bali Hai,” “Dites Moi,” “A Cockeyed Optimist,” “Happy Talk (keep talkin’ Happy Talk),” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair.” The show, which was made into a film in 1958, has been revived very few times for such a huge hit initially. Except for a Concert version and a brief run in a London production directed by Trevor Nunn, the new production is the first major revival. Those of us old enough to remember the show, if not old enough to have seen it, are aware of the impact of the songs. Its stars, Martin and Pinza were major American musical stars of the highest ranking, close to legend.

Therefore, with that in mind, never having seen the show, I was expecting a lot, maybe even something unrealistic from Paulo Szot and Kelli O’Hara who play the leads (Ensign Nellie Forbush and Emile de Becque). Furthermore this is a very late 40s, early 50s show; a sensibility a million miles away from the world we live in now. No need to fear disappointment. Szot and O’Hara are wonderful and with beautiful voices. Loretta Ables Sayre is wonderful as Bloody Mary (with two of the great songs – “Bali Hai” and “Happy Talk”). Matthew Morrison as the young romantic lead (Lt. Joseph Cable) as a kind of contemporary James Dean-ish personality is excellent, and with a great high baritone singing voice (“Younger Than Springtime”). And then there was Danny Burstein as Billis, the pivotal character who provides the comic relief and moves the show along. Mr. Burstein shares the stage in several ensemble numbers but tends to own it by sheer force of the personality (Queens or maybe Brooklyn; okay, the Bronx).

Last night’s performance was a benefit for Lincoln Center and the amphitheatre was filled with prominent names including one of Richard Rodgers’ daughter, composer Mary Rodgers Guettel (also mother of composer Adam Guettel) and a daughter of Oscar Hammerstein. The audience loved the show and the Vivian Beaumont is a great place to see a major musical. After the show I went over to The Frick where the Young Fellows of The Frick Collection were holding their gala “Un Ballo in Maschera.” Chaired by Byrdie Bell (who celebrated her birthday yesterday with her ma at La Grenouille), Lydia Fenet, Tinsley Mortimer, Coralie Charriol Paul and Elisabeth Saint-Amand. Honorary chair was Elie Saab who came from Paris for the evening. Vice Chair was Ivanka Trump whose jewelry line was one of the evening’s sponsors, along with Elie Saab and Moet et Chandon and Belvedere Vodka. Founding chairmen are Marina Rust Connor, Lauren du Pont, Nathalie Gerschel Kaplan, Martha Loring and Aerin Lauder Zinterhofer. This is the youngest social crowd in New York and The Frick is its ideal venue.

20- and 30- somethings with a few of the ancients (40- somethings) on the fringes. Many have known each other since school or even pre-school. Their parents are often well-known or prominent New Yorkers. This is where New York becomes a kind of small town. Ivanka Trump is a good example, having grown up here, gone to school here and now grown up, a businesswoman and socially prominent. This is a black tie affair so there is the decided aesthetic of the excellent uniform that somehow compliments whoever wears it. And the girls dress. Long dresses, style, fashion, the designers’ dreams all come true last night at The Frick. We’ll run lots and lots of pics from it next week. The Museum of the City of New York’s dinner dance on Wednesday night is now, along with The Frick Collection’s black tie evenings, one of the more glamorous annual galas in New York. It is not new but what is sort of new is that the group which stages this every year, was originally the “junior” group – sons and daughters of socially prominent folk, as well as the newcomers who wish/wanted to be a part of this group.

The difference is they are not “juniors” anymore. They are forty- and fifty-somethings (with the younger set eager to be associated with them for a variety of reasons all of which could be described as New York socio-economic). I arrived after the main course had been finished. I’d been down at the Café Carlyle seeing Barbara Cook give one of her great New York lustrous cabaret concerts. The party had been going for a couple of hours and the energy had moved into a comfortable camaraderie. So I just decided to tour the place with my digital and show you what I looks like when everyone’s feeling quite happy to be there. Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific in concert | Entertainment | Philippine Star Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific in concert Baby A. Gil - SOUNDS FAMILIAR (The Philippine Star) - August 27, 2015 - 10:00am Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific is coming to Resorts World Manila. This is quite a surprise as for some unknown reason, there seems to be a bias against this musical among Pinoys.

Just think, there have already been several stagings of The Sound of Music and The King And I these past years. But if I remember right, the last South Pacific I heard about around here was in the ’60s and it was directed by Father Reuter. God rest his soul. Some say the reason is because South Pacific is too American to have the universal appeal of popular musicals. Others say it is the outdated racist undertones in the plot and while almost every song became a hit when the show first came out, most of these failed to carry over to recent times. But no matter, I am happy that South Pacific will be on the local stage again. I know this one is a concert production directed by Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo. Not a full-blown musical. That means, no sets or dance numbers. But who cares. There will be a 20 voice choir members and the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Maestro Rodel Colmenar. I am sure the presentation will be great and hearing those songs again live will be heaven. South Pacific is tuneful, funny, exuberant, romantic and in my opinion is the best musical Rodgers and Hammerstein ever wrote.

The script by Joshua Logan puts across its anti-racism message without sacrificing the flow of the story. There is not a sour or unnecessary note or dialogue anywhere. You know how you sometimes get the feeling that a show would be better off without a song or two? Not South Pacific where numbers segue smoothly to the next. It is a wonderful show and I recall viewers brimming with happy tears while watching Mitzi Gaynor skip happily on the beach in the Hollywood version. Set on a tropical island during World War II, South Pacific tells the love stories of two mixed couples based on a book by James A. Michener. One is that of an American nurse Nellie Forbush who is struggling whether to accept the part-native children of the man she loves, Emile De Becque a French plantation owner. Gaynor played Nellie in the movie while Mary Martin, originated the role on Broadway. De Becque was played by Rosanno Brazzi on film and by the famous opera basso Ezio Pinza on stage. The other one is that of US Marine Lt. Joseph Cable. His problem is his having fallen in love with Liat a native girl whom her mother Bloody Mary wants to pair off with an American with money.

Cable, like most soldiers of the time, could fall in love with a native girl but would prefer to marry another girl back home. These romances play out against a background of GIs taking a respite from battle with the knowledge that they could be called back to the front anytime and of enterprising natives milking the visitors for all they could get. Out of these simple and time-worn tales Rodgers and Hammerstein wove a tapestry of songs that have since then become standards. Some Enchanted Evening, Bali Hai, Younger Than Springtime, There Is Nothing Like A Dame, Happy Talk, I’m In Love With A Wonderful Guy, Cockeyed Optimist, Bloody Mary, I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair, Honey Bun and This Nearly Was Mine. Set to perform these songs is a formidable line-up of talents, who I am sure will do an excellent job. In the cast of South Pacific In Concert are Joanna Ampil — West End star of Miss Saigon and Jesus Christ Superstar — as Nellie. Music producer, composer, director and performer Jon Meer Vera Perez as Emile De Becque.

Mark Bautista, star of David Byrne’s Here Lies Love in London and just fresh out of the successful staging of Bituing Walang Ningning, the Musical, is Lt. Cable. The ever-reliable Ima Castro is Liat’s mother Bloody Mary, the Tonkinese wheeler dealer. I am sure that her rendition of Bali Hai, the most famous song from the show is one that should not be missed. And what about Mark B. singing Younger Than Springtime? That would be beautiful. It is just too bad that Joanna will not have to wash her hair on stage like the other Nellies did. That would have been fun to watch. But it would still be nice to hear her sing a happy I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair with a Southern accent. Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific in Concert will be staged at the Newport Performing Arts Theatre of Resorts World Manila at 8 p.m. on Saturdays, Sept. 12 and 19. For tickets, call TicketWorld (891-9999) or RWM Box Office (908-8000).

Rodgers & Hammerstein, Mitzi Gaynor, Giorgio Tozzi, Muriel Smith, Bill Lee, Alfred Newman - South Pacific - Amazon.com Music By Pope on January 19, 2002 Format: Audio CD This remastered Original Soundtrack Album of South Pacific is very wonderfully done. Lush, beautiful orchestrations go hand in hand with the wonderful singing found herein. Mitzi Gaynor is as nicely suited to the part here as Mary Martin was in the original Broadway version. Rossano Brazzi is wonderful as well, even though his singing is dubbed in by Giorgio Tozzi. Bill Lee steps in here to sing Lt. Cable's songs and is nice... he also did C. Plummer's voice in The Sound of Music. This new remastered CD is well worth its price and sounds better than ever. Lush gorgeous stereo sound-what are you waiting for? The Original Cast Album, with Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza, though, will always hold a special place in my heart and is truly the definitive version of South Pacific, but this soundtrack album is definately not bad. It does, of course, put the new TV soundtrack of the Glenn Close production to shame.

Stage 1940s IV: New Talents New Talents The original cast Playbill for Finian's Rainbow (1947). In the late 1940s, a number of new creative talents caught on to what Rodgers and Hammerstein had really accomplished. This resulted in several outstanding musicals that would remain popular for decades to come. Finian's Rainbow (1947 - 725 performances) was the first musical to tackle racism with laughter, proving that the integrated musical could work as social satire. It told the story of an Irishman who steals the leprechauns' legendary crock of gold and buries it near Fort Knox, thinking it will grow in such "rich" soil. While the Irishman's daughter falls in love with an American, an avenging leprechaun is distracted by human love -- and an innocent wish turns a bigoted Southern congressman into a Negro. David Wayne played Og the leprechaun, becoming the first performer in a musical to receive the Theatre Wing's new Antoinette Perry Award, later known as "The Tony." Composer Burton Lane and lyricist E.Y.

"Yip" Harburg 's score included "Look to the Rainbow," "That Old Devil Moon," and "How Are Things in Glocca Morra." Priscilla Gilette and David Brooks sing "Almost Like Being in Love" on the program cover for the first national tour of Brigadoon. In a more romantic vein, lyricist/librettist Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick Loewe found success with the story of two men who stumble into a town that magically reappears in the Scottish highlands for only one day every century. Brigadoon (1947 - 581 performances) was graced with a ravishing score that included "Almost Like Being In Love" and "There But For You Go I." Agnes DeMille contributed several ravishing ballets, helping to make Brigadoon became one of the most frequently revived musicals in the international repertoire. Tin Pan Alley songwriter Frank Loesser was best known for his wartime hit "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition." His first Broadway score was for Where s Charley (1948 - 792 performances)), based on the old British comedy Charley s Aunt.

The sweet ballad "My Darling" made it onto the pop charts, but it was Ray Bolger 's rendition of "Once In Love With Amy" that caused a sensation -- thanks to a happy accident. One night early in the run, Bolger heard the audience chuckle partway through the song. It seems a a child had begun to sing along with him. The veteran showman encouraged the youngster, then got the whole audience to join in. Enchanted, the audience demanded encores, literally stopping the show. The sing-along became a permanent part of the show, catapulting Where's Charley to hit status, and giving Bolger his most memorable stage moment. By the end of the 1940s, integrated musical plays, both serious and comic, dominated the Broadway landscape. The greatest composers in American popular music were all working in this new form. Composer Kurt Weill and playwright Maxwell Anderson's Lost in the Stars (1949 - 273 performances)) examined the nightmare of South African apartheid decades before it became a widely discussed issue. Irving Berlin 's Miss Liberty (1949 - 308 performances)) had a book by Pulitzer-winning playwright Robert E.

Sherwood, telling the story of a newspaper reporter trying to identify the woman who posed for the Statue of Liberty. The score included "Give Me Your Tired" and "Let's Take an Old Fashioned Walk." Composer Jule Styne and lyricist Leo Robin turned the popular Anita Loos 1920s novel Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1949- 740 performances)) into a smash hit musical comedy -- integrated, but with enough lighthearted fun to rate as a musical comedy. As Lorelei Lee, the gem-hungry flapper with a heart of pure gold, Carol Channing found stardom, stopping the show with her wide-eyed renditions of "Little Girl from Little Rock" and "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend." The 1940s in London Few London productions of 1940s drew much attention outside of Britain, but the West End had its share of homegrown musicals. Broadway producers felt that most of these shows were "too British" to appeal to American theatergoers. Even the perennial transatlantic favorite Noel Coward was unable to turn out a hit musical in this decade.

After World War II, his Pacific 1860 (London 1946 -129 performances) faired poorly despite a lavish production and the presence of Mary Martin. London's most popular star during the mid-twentieth century was Ivor Novello , an actor-songwriter who composed and starred in a series of hit operettas, despite the fact that he couldn't sing a note. With striking good looks, a winning stage presence, and a gift for writing lush melodies, Novello played leading roles and left the singing to everyone around him. To make this less awkward, he often played characters that accompanied others on piano. Ivor Novello makes one of his non-singing appearances in The Dancing Years with Roma Beaumont and Mary Ellis (on the stairs). Novello got away with this arrangement in show after show, cheered on by a hoards of female fans who had no idea their idol was a homosexual.

With a mixture of affection and envy, longtime friend (and competitor) Noel Coward said that "the two loveliest things in the British theatre are Ivor's profile and my mind." Novello's almost continuous string of musical hits included  Glamorous Night (1935 - 243 performances) Careless Rapture (1936 - 297 performances)  wags dubbed this one "Careless Rupture" Crest of the Wave (1937 - 203 performances) The Dancing Years (1939 - 967 performances)  this one was nicknamed "The Dancing Queers" Perchance To Dream (1945 - 1,022 performances) King's Rhapsody (1949 - 839 performances) Gay's The Word (1951 - 504 performances) None of Novello's shows (which often contained enough gooey sentiment to choke a drainpipe) were ever produced on Broadway, so even his most popular songs ("Shine Through My Dreams," "Waltz of My Heart") were rarely heard outside of Britain.

And that's a pity, because his gift for polished, romantic melody placed him somewhere between Coward and Franz Lehar. Novello's dominance of the London stage continued until his sudden death at age 58, when he was starring in King's Rhapsody. Thousands lined the streets on the day of his funeral, which was broadcast live over British radio to a mourning nation. The longest running West End book musical from this period was Me and My Girl (1937 London - 1,646 performances), the story of a poor London cockney who inherits a nobleman's title and fortune. The Noel Gay score included the catchy "Lambeth Walk," and Brits packed the theatre through most of World War II. British comedian Lupino Lane triumphed in the lead and starred in several revivals. But American producers felt Me and My Girl was "too British" for Broadway. In 1985, London welcomed a heavily revised version starring Robert Lindsay. After a rip-roaring triumph in London (where it ran for years), Me and My Girl finally traveled to New York in 1986, where it racked up a healthy 1,420 performances.

It seems even thick-headed Yanks can eventually catch on to a bit of alright. South Pacific Mary Martin and Metropolitan Opera star Ezio Pinza on the original cast Playbill for South Pacific. As the 1940s ended, New York was the undisputed center of the theatrical world, and Broadway's last musical hit of the decade was one of the biggest ever. Working with co-librettist and director Josh Logan , Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote a musical based on two stories from James Michener's Tales of the South Pacific. Set on a tropical island occupied by American forces during World War II, it told of military nurse Nellie Forbush falling in love with French planter Emile de Becque, and of upper-crust Lieutenant Cable giving his heart to a Polynesian girl. Romance forces these two "decent" Americans to confront the bigotry they were taught at home. Set amid the life and death tensions of wartime, it was a world away from the whacky musical comedy librettos that had reigned on Broadway at the start of the decade.

With powerhouse stars Ezio Pinza and Mary Martin , a well crafted script, and a score that included "Some Enchanted Evening," "Younger Than Springtime," "Bali Hai," and "I'm In Love With A Wonderful Guy," South Pacific (1949 - 1,925 performances) proved to be a critical and commercial sensation, creating an unprecedented demand for tickets. Some critics (to be specific, the idiotic ones) have suggested that aspects of the book seem dated today, but the show's score and genuine sentiment still work. South Pacific was unusual in many ways. There was almost no dance, two equally important love stories, and the dramatic tension was not provided by any single antagonist (a.k.a. - a "bad guy") or "silly misunderstanding." Both love stories were u against "carefully taught" racial prejudices. These reflex hatreds drive key characters to push away from the people they love. In the case of a young Lieutenant and his native girl, the results are tragic, but Nellie and Emile are finally reunited. South Pacific confirmed Rodgers and Hammerstein's command of the genre.

Along with worshipful reviews, it won the Tony for Best Musical and became the second musical to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Tony awards also went to the authors, as well as Pinza, Martin and other company members. Rodgers & Hammerstein's knack for creating innovative and entertaining hits came to be called "The RH Factor," and it would keep them on top through the next decade. The Shuberts: A Matter of Trust South Pacific triggered a surprising, radical change in the "business we call show." Tickets were in such demand that theatre owners Lee and J.J. Shubert got greedy. They arranged for ticket brokers to charge theatergoers up to ten times the legal box office value of eight dollars, with the Shuberts pocketing most of the price increase. They even made top politicians pay these inflated prices, which proved to be a foolish mistake. Congress launched a long overdue investigation of Broadway business practices, accusing the Shuberts of functioning as an illegal trust. The Shuberts used high powered lawyers to draw out the struggle for several years, but after a series of court battles, the Federal government won its case.

The Shuberts were forced to give up their lucrative control of theatre bookings and ticket sales, and to sell off a large number of their theatres all across the USA. Although the brothers remained powerful, their stranglehold on the commercial theatre was broken. The 1940s had seen vast changes in the musical theatre, both as an art form and as a business. World War II had re-energized the American economy, and many great musicals appeared in the 1940s, particularly after Oklahoma (1943) redefined the genre. But as theatre rents, union minimums and advertising costs kept climbing, it became harder for shows to turn a profit. So even as the American musical enjoyed what many have called its "golden age," the number of Broadway productions continued (with occasional exceptions) a gradual but inexorable decline. This decline was easy to overlook in the decade that followed. After all, in the 1950s, the Broadway musical was one of the most popular genres in all of show business.

Busy Joanna | Entertainment, News, The Philippine Star | philstar.com The Philippine Star Philippine News for the Filipino Global Community Masthead, pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Fri | 01/20/2017 01:02pm | Forex: $1:49.980 Search form Entertainment ( Leaderboard Top ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Busy Joanna SOUNDS FAMILIAR By Baby A. Gil (The Philippine Star) | Updated September 11, 2015 - 12:00am Joanna Ampil is playing Nellie Forbush, the nurse who fell in love with a French plantation owner with bi-racial children in South Pacific in Concert to be held on Sept. 12 and 19 at Resorts World Manila “Be careful what you ask for,” is probably what Joanna Ampil is saying to herself these days, “You might just get it.” And she did. In fact, she is still getting it. Two years ago, she came home to resume her career in the Philippines after many years spent in London.

Used to the regimented life of a professional actor in the West End, I recall Joanna groaning over not doing anything. She was not used to taking things easy and wanted work, lots of it. Fast forward to today and how things have changed. Joanna, nowadays, is everywhere. She has become that rarity in the local entertainment scene. A busy theater actress. She is busy shooting a film. She is all over radio and television promoting a new single from her latest album. And amidst all that, she is of course, also doing what she does best, that is, starring in some musicals on stage. First off, Joanna is playing Nellie Forbush, the nurse who fell in love with a French plantation owner with bi-racial children in South Pacific in Concert. Although, this is not her first Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, remember, she was Maria in a local production of The Sound of Music a few years ago. This is the first time that Joanna is playing an American girl and with a Southern accent at that. The show plays at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Resorts World Manila on Saturdays, Sept. 12 and 19. It also stars Jon Meer Vera Perez, Mark Bautista and Ima Castro.

Catch it and enjoy songs like Some Enchanted Evening, Bali Hai, Younger Than Springtime, I’m In Love With A Wonderful Guy, There Is Nothing Like A Dame and many others. Next on tap for her onstage is what may well be the most romantic musical of the year. This is the Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group production of the Tony Award-winning The Bridges of Madison County. This is based on the bestselling novel by Robert James Waller which later became a successful motion picture, starring Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood. Entertainment ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 And Joanna gets to play the part of the housewife Francesca Johnson who had a chance, life-changing encounter with a traveling photographer. For this one, she will put on a little Italian accent. Set to play her lover is rocker and actor MiG Ayesa. Bridges opens on Nov. 20 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium of RCBC Plaza in Makati. It would be really interesting to see Joanna and MiG, who are both known for strong, over-the-top characters, in something as sexy and intimate as this one.

Then there is Larawan that Joanna has been shooting these past weeks. This is the motion picture rendition of the play Portrait of the Filipino as an Artist by National Artist Nick Joaquin. This was later adapted into a play and a movie, which in turn became the basis for the opera by Ryan Cayabyab with a libretto by another National Artist, Rolando Tinio. This opera has now become a big screen musical produced by Celeste Legaspi and Girlie Rodis, directed by Loy Arcenas and with Ryan’s music. Set in Manila during the 1930s, Portrait or Larawan tells the story of two sisters, Candida and Paula Marasigan, who are unable to cope with the prospect of impoverished old age and their changing surroundings. Joanna is Candida, while Rachel Alejandro is Paula. Expect an aural and visual feast with Joanna and the rest of the cast singing in true Tagalog. Amidst all these, Joanna finds the time to promote the second single from her eponymous album. A soaring statement of happiness, The Only Place To Be was composed by Ed Fox, arranged by Ralf Stenman and produced by Christian de Walden.

It is a most fitting description of where Joanna is today as far as her career in the Philippines is concerned. So, in between film shoots and rehearsals, she appears in TV shows and visits radio station to plug her song. Joanna Ampil album also includes Fragments Of Forever, Init Sa Magdamag, Won’t You Love Me Again, Kung Maari, Old Souls and Smile. The first single release was Hanggang Saan, which was composed by Vehnee Saturno. Also in the album are three notable duets: Kumusta Ka with Mark Bautista, Kailangan Kita with the British boy group Blake and Never Thought I’d Ever Love This Way with Martin Nievera. The latter is a composition by Italian music great Tony Renis, who also wrote The Prayer and Volare. Joanna was only 17 years old when she bagged the role of Kim in Miss Saigon. She has since then worked extensively on the London stage. She has been in Les Miserablés, both as Eponine and Fantine, in Jesus Christ Superstar and Avenue Q.

Her most recent appearance, which by the way generated a lot of rave reviews, was in the touring company of Cats as Grizabella behind the showstopping song, Memory. Entertainment ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

Question: Similarly, the songs 'Younger Than Springtime' and 'I'm In Love With A Wonderful Guy' came from which show and film?
Answer: 'SOUTH PACIFIC'